Long-gone John is still working with me, says rejuvenated Yoko

John and Yoko ... a deep love which powered a progressive musical relationship.

Twenty-three years after John Lennon was gunned down outside their New York apartment, Yoko Ono is convinced: "We are still working together.

"I feel we were like two soldiers in a battlefield marching with the beat of Give Peace a Chance. And we are still doing it," Lennon's widow said on a trip to London for the launch of a new Lennon Legend DVD.

"When I was doing the DVD, I felt as if he was there."

The pain of Lennon's death is still etched on her face, but Ono has come to terms with the vituperation of fans who blamed her for the break-up of the Beatles. However, her relationship with former Beatle Paul McCartney is clearly not on an even keel: "Sometimes we bury the hatchet and sometimes we dig it up again."

The new DVD includes 20 Lennon tracks, unseen footage and even some home movies that brought the memories flooding back: "It was an extremely emotional experience because I had to relive my life with John."

After years of being reviled by Beatle fans and mocked by arts critics, Ono says, "I'm starting over."

At the age of 70 she topped the US dance music charts with a remix of her song Walking on Thin Ice. She also won acclaim in Paris for her performance art show Cut Piece when she sat on stage in silence as each audience member climbed up on stage and cut off a piece of her clothing.

She dedicated the performance to world peace, and now argues that Lennon's mantra, forever encapsulated in his classic song Imagine, is just as relevant today. "His message of love and peace is very, very important, especially now. It is really taking off without me pushing too much. And I think it is really important that his words and music are communicated, especially to the younger generation."

Asked what she would say to him first if she saw Lennon again, she instantly replied: "I hope I did the right thing by you."